Internal-combustion engine.



J. E. BISSELL. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11, I909.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915 2 MEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSSZ LM v iikqqyuhx J. E. BISSELL.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGlNE.

APPLICATION HLED 05c. 11, 1909.

1,1 34,097. Patented Apr. 6, 1915,

v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES. INVENTOR Atty's JQSEPH E, BISSELL, 01E PITTSBURGH,PENNSYLVANIA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTIQN ENGINE.

mas er.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr, 8, 1915.,

Application filed December 11, 1909. Serial No. 532,707

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, JOSEPH E. Brssnnn,residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny' and State ofPennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented ordiscovered certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-CombustionEngines, of which improvements the following is a specification.

In the operation of internal-combustion engines such as are ingeneral-use today, it is impossible to vary the amount of fuel forsucceeding charges, to accord with variation in the amount of powerrequired; but each charge of fuel is of a certain volume, fills a spaceof definite and unvarying size, and is compressed to the degreenecessary to ex-' plosion.

The invention herein described has for its object the control of thefuel supply, to the end that the amount of fuel admitted to theexplosion chamber for an individual charge may be varied at the will ofthe operator, the construction being such that though the volume of thecharge be thus varied, the degree of compression will not (within therange of ordinary working conditions) be substantially altered.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification,Figures 1 and 2 are sectional elevations of a two-cycle and of afour-cycle engine, each adapted, though in a manner specificallydifferent from that of the other, to the practice of my invention.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1, the engine consists of a cylinder 1preferably covered with a non-conducting cover 2, so as to retain theheat within the same, to accomplish the useful purpose hereinafterspecified. The crank box 3 is closed, and is in free communication withthe lower end of the cylinder 1, so that on each down stroke of thepiston la compression of air will occur in the crank box or case. Theair, so compressed, is forced out through the carhureter 5, which is ofany suitable construc- I tion, and thence escapes, past the check valve6, into the expansion chamber 7. The expansion chamber is preferablymade as shown, in the form of a tube having a gooseneck at its upperend, such goose-neck corn necting with the upper end of the cylinder 1.On the up stroke of the piston, air enters the crank case through. aport or opening 9, pro vided with a suitable check valve 10 The cylinder1 is provided with an exhaust port ll, so located as to be uncoveredwhen the piston has reached the lower limit of its stroke, or slightlybefore such limit has been reached. It is preferred that the portion 8that these walls be thick, and jacketed with a heat-insulatingsubstance; by such provision, the heat generated in explosion will beabsorbed by the walls, and will increase the efficiency of the engine,as will presently be explained.

In Fig. l the parts of the engine are shown in position for the ignitionof the charge in the explosion chamber, and a dotted line a indicatesapproximately the meeting point of the burned gases above and the newcharge below. By the explosion of the new charge, the piston will beforced down, until it reaches the lower limit of its stroke, uncoveringthe port 11, through which the burned gases will escape, all except avolume of burned gases sufficient to fill the explosion chamber andcylinder at substantially atmospheric pressure. By this same downwardstroke of the piston, air and gas will be compressed within the crankcase, the carbureter, and the connected passages. On the opening of theexhaust, valve 6 will open under pressure of the gas beneath itovercoming the resistance afi'orded by spring 13, and a new charge ofgas will enter the explosion chamber 7 and will occupy the lower portionthereof, displacing the burned gases so far as necessary. will beunderstood that the amount of gas thus entering the explosion chamber 7will depend upon the tension of the spring 16, which controls the valve6. it will also he observed that the relative quantity of air enterin asone of the ingredients of the explosive mixture will be directlydependent upon the tension of the spring which holds valve 16 to itsseat, that being the valve which governs the inflow of air to the crankchamber.

the explosion chamber T, the burned gases ey the flow'of the explosivemixture into the lower end ofare displaced sufliciently to make room forit, so that, when. the piston 1 reaches the lower limit of its stroke,there will be in the lower end of the explosion chamber a volume ofexplosive mixture at atmospheric pressure (the amount of which isdependent upon the tension of the spring 13 governing valve 6), and thatthe remainder of the explosion chamber, and the cylinder abovethe'piston 4., will be filled with burned gases, at substantiallyatmospheric pressure. These two volumes or bodies of gas will not mingleto any appreciable extent, but (because of the shape of the chamber andthe manner of admitting the new charge) will come into contact with oneanother at an intermediate point in the length of theexplosion chamber7, such point beingindi cated in the drawing by the dotted line a.

It will be apparent that while the amount of air admitted to -the crankcase on each stroke of the piston, and the amount of explosive mixtureadmitted to form a charge in the explosion chamber may be varied, asabove explained, since the total amount of gas compressed on the upstroke of the piston is .constant, the explosive mixture itself(whatever be the actual quantity) will always he brought to the samedegree of compression.

In the construction of the four-cycle engine, shown in Fig. 2, thecylinder 1 is connected at its upper end by a tube 8 with the explosionchamber 7 preferably formed integral with the cylinder, at one sidethereof. This chamber is provided with inlet ports 14 and 15, which arecontrolled by valves 16 and 17, the valve 16 being in the form of acheck valve, and normally held to its seat by a spring 18, the tensionbeing adjusted by a nut 19 on the stem of the valve, or in any othersuitable manner. This valve 16 controls the inflow of air into theexplosion chamber, as hereinafter described. The valve 17, controllingthe port 15, through which the explosive mixture passes into theexplosion chamber, is provided with a stem 20, which extends downthrough a suitable stuffing box, and is adapted to be operated in anysuitable manner, as by means of a cam or eccentric 21 on the drivenshaft 22. This cam or eccentric may be adjusted, to vary the quantity ofexplosive mixture admitted, by means of a lever 22*. The explosionchamber ,7? is also provided with a port 23, for the escape of theburned gases, products of explosion. This port 23is controlled by avalve 24, having a stem 25 which extends: down through a suitablestufling box." The valve is normally held to its seat by a spring 26,but may be shifted to open position against the tension of the spring bymeans of a cam or eccentric 27 on the shaft 22, such cam or eccentricbeing adjustable, to vary the time of exhaust.

As shown in Fig. 2, the parts of the engine are in position just priorto explosion of the charge. Explosion is effected by means of a sparkplug 28, or in other suitable manner. On explosion of the mixture,

the piston P will be forced down. On its return stroke, it will drivethe burnt gases through the tube 8 and into the chamber 7 from which theexcess of burnt gases will escape through the port 23the valve 24 beingopened simultaneously with the upward movement of the piston. On thenext down stroke of the piston, effected by the fly-wheel, the ports 23will be closed (this will be at or before the beginning of the downwardmovement), so that, as the piston descends, the pressure of theburntgases remaining in the piston chamber and in the explosion chamberand the connecting parts, will be gradually reduced below atmosphericpressure, and the extent of the reduction will increase as the pistondescends, until the atmospheric pressure on top of valve 16, overcomingthe resistance offered by spring 18, will force the valve open, andadmit an inflow of air. At a certain point in this second downwardmovement of the piston, the cam or eccentric 21 will effect the openingof valve 17, thereby admitting an inflow of explosive mixture into theexplosion chamber. If the valve 16 has not already been closed by theestablishment of an equilibriumof forces operating upon it, the

inflow of the explosive mixture through valve 15 will raise the pressurewithin the explosion chamber to such an extent that the valve 16 willsoon close; and, thereafter, explosive mixture only will enter thechamber 7 forcing before it such air as has previously entered. On thenext upstroke of the piston, which is the compressing stroke, the airand the explosive mixture will be compressed, ignition will follow whenthe piston reaches the upper limitof its movement.

As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, thequantities of air and of explosive mixture admitted to the explosionchamber 7 to form the individual charges may be regulated as required,to suit the work to be performed. By shifting the nut 19, the openin ofthe air valve 16 may accord with di erent degrees of rarefaction inchamber 7 and by the shifting of the cam or eccentric 21, the opening ofthe valve 17 may be hastened or delayed, as desired. As in the othercase, the metal walls of the explosion chamber and of the cylinder aremade heavy and continuous, for the absorption and transmission of heat.

By admitting the air and the explosive mixture in sequence, as explainedabove in connection with the description of the engine of Fig. 2, it isfound that there is no material mixing of the explosive mixture with theair; but that the two, that is the air and the explosive mixture, remainpractically segregated during compression and up to the time ofexplosion.

In ordinary engine practice, an unvarying quantity of fuel isnecessarily consumed on each explosion, and this quantity is necessarilysufficient to afford the maximum of power for which the engine isdesigned. lVhen the engine is required to furnish power in amounts lessthan its maximum capacity, necessarily a certain amount of the powergenerated is not employed, but is dissipated as heat, and wasted. Thelarge quantities of heat thus generated and dissipated in ordinarypractice necessitate the use of cooling means, for otherwise it would beimpossible to run the engines for any length of time; one sufficientobstacle to the use of an ordinary engine without any cooling agencywould be found in the inability of lubricating oils to endure thetemperature to which the engine would be heated. The cooling agencyordinarily employed is a water jacket, which keeps the temperatures ofthe cylinder walls at approximately the boiling point of water (212 F.).It has been demonstrated that an internal-combus tion engine Works mosteconomically when the temperature of the cylinder is approximately 300F.; and, since this temperature is unattainable if a Water jacket beused, the alleged superiority of air cooling means is urged, on thestrength of this demonstrated fact.

In the use of my invention, I am able to positively control the quantityof fuel supplied from charge to charge, so that not only will theconsumption be graded to the demand, but also the heat evolved, insteadof being eliminated lest it causeinjury, is retained, to the useful endof maintaining the cylinder walls at the most efiective temperature.Variation in amount of fuel supply will, if the load upon the machineremains constant, manifest itself in a corresponding variation in thetemperature of the walls of the explosion chamber and cylinder.

One known way of diminishing the supply of power is to advance thespark, so that the gases will be exploded at something less than themaximum compression; but this means waste. Another way is to aerate theexplosive mixture to a greater or less degree before its admission to orwhile it is in the cylinder; but in such practice there is an incidentalloss in efiiciency. In the practice ofmy invention, the proportions ofthe explosive mixture are kept constant, at the point of greatestefiiciency, the volume of the charge being adjusted to the conditions ofservice, and the gases are always exploded when the charge is at maximumcompression. A certain amount of heat generated by explosion isdesirable, for I utilize it, as I have indicated above, to maintain thewalls of the explosion chamber and cylinder at the temperature ofgreatest efficiency.

The effect obtained in the use of my invention is analogous to that ofthe cut-off valve of a steam engine. A definite and predeterminedquantity of explosive mixture undiluted with air is introduced to theexplosion chamber, compressed to the desired degree, and exploded, andthe gases employed expansively, until the pressure is reducedapproximately to atmospheric pressure. The relatively small quantity ofheat generated is employed to increase the efficiency of the engine, andno cooling means such as an increased radiating surface or a waterjacket is necessary. Furthermore, no muflier is'necessary, for at theexhaust the burned gases will escape at a pressure but slightly abovethat of the atmosphere.

I claim herein as my invention:

1. In an internal combustion engine the combination with a cylinder anda piston movable therein, of an elongate explosion or combustion chamberhaving a supply port at one end and opening at the other end to the saidcylinder on one side of the said piston, the said chamber extendingwithout substantial enlargement in width from the gas inlet port to thecylinder.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder anda piston movable therein, of an elongate explosion chamber having asupply port at one end and opening at the other end to said cylinder,said chamber extending without substantial enlargement in width fromsaid supply port to the end of said piston when in its extreme. inwardposition within said cylinder.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a cylinder, apiston. movable therein, an elongate explosion chamber communicatingwith said cylinder at one end of said piston, and provided with avalve-controlled inlet port at the other end, said chamber extendingwithout substantial enlargement in width from said inlet port to saidcylinder, and a non-conducting covering surrounding the walls of saidchamber and of said cylinder; the walls of said chamber and of saidcylinder affording a path of heat conduction from said explosion cham-JOSEPH E. BISSELL.

Witnesses:

ALICE A. TRILL, FRANCIS J. ToMAssoN.

